


Stranger than Earth

by KaelsMiscellany



Series: The Road of Excess [2]
Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Regency, F/M, Mayan Mythology - Freeform, Multi, Xibalba - Freeform, the OCs are the Mayan underworld gods BTW
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 01:54:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8949010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaelsMiscellany/pseuds/KaelsMiscellany
Summary: 1817: Summer returns and Seth is stolen away.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So I actually finished this a while ago, but it became the 'but what if it's not as good as the first one' thing and yeah...but I finally got off my ass and decided to post it.
> 
> You'll also notice I did do some title shuffling, the new series title comes from "Proverbs from Hell" by William Blake, and the fic title comes from the song by Purity Ring of the same name.

Richie pushes them, their horses eating up the miles as they headed towards who knows what. Kate's certain that if she hadn’t forced them to stop an hour ago to cover him before the sun rose he would’ve just kept riding and damn the sun. Even if it meant he’d most likely burn to a crisp and then be completely useless to Seth.

Seth...her heart pounds in her ears.

Around them are the sounds of the jungle, not that she can hear them. Seth kidnapped. Taken away to a whole other world; one where he and Richie were hated by its rulers, who would, it seemed, do anything to get revenge.

A shudder passes through her as she recalls that night, the howling and screeching cacophony, the writhing shadows. Seth being swallowed up.

They’d been heading south ever since.

Perhaps the only good thing, if one could call it that, was that she’d finally gotten to meet Kisa and the infamous Carlos. Their ramshackle saloon the only stop Richie had willingly made, even then it had been for information rather than as a friendly visit.

Kisa had been, well, she could see why Richie had fallen for the other woman. Their interaction had been stand-offish at best, Kate certain Kisa didn’t think much of her.

Her musings are cut short as Richie pulls his horse to a stop, her own following suit. “Richie?” She knows he's looking for a way into Xibalba, yet she isn’t sure one could be found in such an alive place.

He turns to face her, eyes blinking slowly, almost glowing under the brim of his hat. It doesn’t even bother her anymore, their inhumanity, she knows it now like she would the back of her hand and over the past year she’s grown comfortable to it.

Richie doesn’t answer, instead he dismounts and starts walking off. Forcing her to scramble off her own horse and grab the reins of both to drag them along behind them—lest either become prey to any _tigre_ that might be about.

“Richie?” She calls out again when she loses sight of him in the undergrowth. It had never occurred to Kate that life could be so densely packed in one place.

There are a few panicked seconds where she thinks she’s lost him for good when she finally hears him call out. “Over here Kate.” It hurts a little to hear him just call her Kate, she also knows he’s focused on getting Seth back. Everything else falls to the wayside. A fact that also hurts, but she wants Seth back just as much she finds, even if it does mean going into what most very likely is Hell.

Following the sound of his voice she finds him standing in the middle of a small clearing, the sun reaching the ground for once.

Yet it’s strange, that such a clearing like this exists, she would have thought there would be trees and the like, unless they had been cut back for some purpose. Adjusting her grip on the reins she approaches Richie.

“Careful,” he warning is unexpected. “You fall in it’s not gonna be fun getting you out.”

She frowns as she stops next to him. “Fall in…” She finds herself looking down and...oh.

This isn’t a clearing, that’s only an illusion of the jungle, this is a pit. A deep one, enough light reaches the bottom that she can see it’s full of water. “What is this place?”

“A ts’onot, only good places to get fresh water in the jungle.” Kate finds herself doubting that. With as many times as they’ve been soaked through by rain there must be plenty of places where fresh water is available, at the very least the locals could harvest it in barrels. “More importantly it’s my way in.”

“Xibalba?” Richie’s been teaching her Nahuatl, yet sometimes her tongue stumbles over the strangeness of the words. She’s not sure how this...giant well could be any way into that place.

He nods. “The Road led us to this one.” She knows that one at least, the Road to Xibalba was the Milky Way, she hadn’t realized they’d been following it so diligently as for him to believe that. Yet she trusts him, she knows full well now what lengths these brothers will go for each other—and her too.

“I’m going with you,” it leaves her in a rush; but she’s adamant. She won’t let him do this alone anymore than she’d let Seth. Without the other they need someone to watch her back, and she’s better than most. It doesn’t hurt that she loves them both either.

Richie turns to her, “Katie,” he sighs it.

“What?” She snaps. “All this travel, barely giving me a chance to eat and sleep, and you were just going to leave me at this sonot? How long was I supposed to wait Richie? Were you expecting me to fight off _tigre_ and whomever might live around here?” She can use Seth’s pistols well enough now, but she couldn’t shoot what she couldn’t hear. “I’m going with you,” she repeats firmly.

“I would have given you protection.” Spells of some sort she’s sure. “Would only take a few days at most. I only need to pass a few tests, play a few tricks and I can steal Seth back.”

“What happens if you die and Seth can’t bring you back?” She challenges. “How am I supposed to know? Certain your ghost couldn’t slip back here to haunt me. If you're right Kisa can’t leave that saloon, and I’m not sure she’d tell me in the first place. No,” she shakes her head. “Someone’s gotta watch your damn back and make sure you don’t do anything monumentally stupid.”

His expression turns bemused. He doesn’t respond right away, hopefully thinking about what she’s said and reconsidering. She watches as he goes over to his saddlebags pulling out his strange knife and opening it. “I’m going to give you some of my blood, it’ll help you over there. It ah, might knock you out for a bit, but you should be back up soon. Anyways we’ll need to wait for sundown.”

She beams at him, hoping that she’ll at least be of some use on the other side.

After he cuts a slice into the mound of his thumb she places her lips over the wound. Richie’s taken her blood now plenty of times, but they’ve never done the reverse. While there’s something dark about it she can’t deny there’s something sexual as well, perhaps that’s the way with all culebras.

She knows the taste of blood from the times she’s injured herself, but there’s a difference in Richie’s blood. A thinner taste, not quite watered down, but close. At first she thinks he’d been exaggerating about the ‘knock you out’ part, but then it feels as if something’s crashed into her brain and she stumbles.

Her last memory is of Richie catching her before she blacks out.

-

When she awakens the light’s gotten dimmer, if she had to guess she’d say it’s late afternoon. Richie’s move them away from the lip of the ts’onot and back into the jungle itself, he’s set up a tent and around them she can hear the pouring of rain. Even with the tent it’s still damp, better than nothing too.

Richie’s curled against her side, watching. She guesses he’s got nothing better to do than watch her sleep and plot their trip to the underworld. “Thank you,” her throat feels dry and she’s grateful when he hands her a waterskin. “For agreeing to let me come.” Seth might be Richie’s brother—in a way she feels is deeper than even the bonds of blood they share as family—but he’s her lover and she’s just as willing to fight for him.

"I hadn’t you would’ve followed after anyways, and damn the consequences.” His smile is crooked, she can’t help but smile back.

“Yes,” she agrees. “You’ve only got yourself to blame.” Before she’d met him her life was anything but exciting. She doesn't know if she craves that excitement now or not, yet she knows she’d wouldn’t go back to her old life for anything.

He takes the waterskin from her hands and sets it off to the side, his gaze locked onto hers as he slides closer. She rolls so she’s on her side as well, and takes him into her arms when he moves close enough to kiss her.

A strangled groan leaves him when her tongue presses against his fangs and he jerks her closer, one of his hands starting to ruck up her skirts, baring skin to the humid air.

It’s as easy as breathing to fall into him, a better way to pass the time than waiting.

-

With night falling Kate eats, unsure of whether or not there’ll be anything she can eat in Xibalba. For all she knows it’s like fairyland, eat their food and you’re trapped there forever—better to eat now.

Richie comes back from hiding the horses away somewhere—he’d mentioned something about a cave in the sides of the ts’onot. He opens his knife again as she finishes and taking her hands leads her back to the edge of the ts’onot. Not giving her a chance to protest, not that she would have, he jabs the blade into her hand turning her palm down to drip into the ts’onot, before repeating the same thing with himself.

“Get ready,” he says. Pocketing his knife and taking her hand in his again.

“Ready for whaa-” Her question turns into a scream as he jumps off the edge into the ts’onot, pulling her along with him.

Kate might trust he knows what he’s doing, but she still squeezes her eyes tight. Bracing herself for the impact on the water, hoping it’s deep enough that they don’t kill themselves—well kill _her_.

The impact sounds louder than it should, but she guesses that’s thanks to the walls around them. She makes it unharmed, her hand still in Richie’s. Soon enough they sink, the weight of their clothes drawing them down even faster.

She keeps her eyes closed, half terrified of what she’ll see if she opens them.

Richie pulls her closer and soon begins swimming back up towards what she hopes is the surface. He might not need to breath, but her lungs are burning for air.

“Kate,” when he speaks her eyes pop open and she breaths deep. Clinging to him she looks around.

They’re not in the ts’onot anymore, which means Richie’s plan worked. Instead they’re floating down a river, it’s water’s opaque and dark. When some of it manages to slip into her mouth she realizes that it’s not water, but a river of blood. A shudder runs through her.

While the river of blood is disconcerting, it’s not the only thing here off. Night had been falling on...Earth? Here the sun is rising, if a weaker, and redder, sun than what she recalls. It should be burning Richie, yet he seems unharmed. The land on either side of the river is nothing but desert. In the distance she can see what might be a mountain; a mirage?

“We made it?” She clings tighter to him as he begins swimming towards the bank closer to the possible mountain.

He doesn’t answer until they reach the shore, and she hadn’t realized how heavy her dress is until they're both standing on dry ground—perhaps the sun will be warm enough to dry their clothes as they travel. “Welcome to Xibalba,” he says with a huff. “Sorry about your dress.”

“Richie,” a note of fond exasperation creeps into her voice. “It’s a dress, you can always get me another.” Being with the Geckos has made her more wasteful when it comes to clothes, although she cannot say if that’s such a bad thing.

“Come on,” he points at the mountain. “We’ll need to get to the city as soon as possible.”

She gapes as they begin walking. “That’s a city?”

As they continue walking Richie explains how everything should go while they’re here, and the general layout of the city. The city gets closer and closer, until it actually looks like a city.

A city unlike any she’s ever seen. She’s never been to cities like Paris or London, but she’s seen paintings now, and drawings, and she feels like the spires and buildings of this city would dwarf even the tallest church spire. She guesses when you’re considered gods your architecture can be grander than any human hands could create.

As they get even closer she sees another river, one moving even more quickly than the river they’d come up in. She’s grateful to see a bridge across it, since she’s certain she and Richie couldn’t ford it on their own.

Closer to the bridge however she begins to hear screaming and crying. “Richie…” She’d equated the place to Hell in her mind, yet so far it has only seemed a more desolate Earth. Perhaps she’d been right with her first assumption.

“I know you want to help Katie, but we can’t. Helping anyone here would cause more problems than we can deal with.” She understands, but that doesn’t stop her heart aching when they finally reach the bridge and she sees why they’re hearing such sounds.

Like the river of blood, this one doesn’t flow with water, instead it’s a writhing river of scorpions; and hanging from the underside of the bridge are...serpentine beings, partly submerged in the ‘river’. Even though they’re not human she finds her heart aching as Richie pulls her across. “What are they?” She has to know, perhaps to try and assuage her guilt.

“Culebras,” his answer gives her a start. “This is where we were born. Some revolted and escaped to Earth, sealing the ways between. They changed to be more like humans to survive.” His words are flat and unemotional, and she finds her heart aching for him just as much as those culebras.

She forces herself to stare straight ahead, she can’t stuff up her ears, but she can at least not see. Not that it helps.

Once they’ve crossed the bridge she realizes how close they are to the city, and that those culebras under the bridge are only the beginning.

-

Inside the city the instances of culebra...she doesn’t know whether to call it punishment or torture—it could be both she supposes—all but vanish. Yet she hardly finds that an end to the horrors. The city is bustling with...beings, each one more inhuman than the last. She tries not to stare, but well, it’s clear that they’re all staring at herself and Richie, whispers drawing even more attention to them.

“Richie…” She can’t imagine all this attention being a good thing. She would have thought there would be more, sneaking involved in getting Seth back.

He pulls her closer, there's a modicum of comfort from his arm around her waist. “It’s okay Katie. I know it doesn’t seem like it but this is the best way.” She trust him, but she also feels like he might be lying to both of them, just a little. On the other hand they can’t go back and try a different way now.

The...palace looms large above everything, moreso the closer they get. There’s also a wall with guards, a wall with guards who are clearly not happy to see them. Guards who also have sharp and wicked looking spears and swords.

“Slave, what are you doing here?” The words of the guard don’t quite match up with the movements of his mouth and Kate realizes with a start that Richie’s blood must have done something to help her understand whatever language they speak.

Richie’s hand squeezes her side before he lets go and takes a small step forward. “I’ve come to speak with the honorable Vucub-Came, in regards to my brother.”

The guard glares at them. “Defiler.” He—or at least she thinks it’s a he—snarls. “If I could gut you right now and stake you out I would.” Kate stiffens, but does her best to keep calm. “But you are expected.” The guard’s eyes flick from Richie to her. “She is not.”

She can’t see it, but she can picture Richie’s ingratiating smile. “She’s coming with me.” Before the guard can protest Richie’s hand shoots out, touching the...man’s forehead before returning to Richie’s side.

The guard’s eyes glaze white. “Go,” he snaps.

In a step she catches up to Richie and they hurry through. Past the wall there is a swath of open ground, where culebra’s hurry to and fro, under the watchful eye of both the guards and other culebras. “Once we’re inside,” Richie’s voice startles her from her staring. “You need to do exactly what I do.” His stare is intent ahead of them. She finds it doesn’t bother her as much as before his single minded focus, here it’s understandable—although she fears that if he’s given the choice, will he chose her or Seth?

She doesn’t regret insisting she come along, yet she does wonder what his plan would have been had he come on his own.

They pass through the courtyard and into the structure of the palace itself. She would have thought there would be another guard to greet them there, yet the hall they enter into is empty. “This way,” He turns down the right side of the hall and soon they come upon the largest doors she’s ever seen in her life.

Richie doesn’t even knock, just pushes them right open.

The space they enter into is large overall, although the circle they’re in is smaller. There’s only a few feet of standing room and a large bench in the middle. Steps lead up to the next floor, putting them both well below the other occupants of the room. Twenty four of them sitting in chairs all around the circle.

Like with the guards they’re...inhuman is the best word she can think for them. Some have bat wings, others have fleshy vine-like appendages, they’re enough to give anyone nightmares should you stare at one for too long.

When Richie nudges her she gives a brief start before trailing after him. He goes to the first in the circle, well the first for them, and gives a brief bow, before skipping two and bowing to the next. Like he’d told she mimics him, although she would have thought they’d bow to all of them and not random ones.

In the end they bow only to eleven before Richie stands in the middle of the room and faces the largest of the twenty four. “Greetings Vucub-Came. You have my brother, and I’d like him back.” For someone who hates their guts Richie’s being downright civil to this Vucub-Came...thing.

Since she can’t stare at the, rulers perhaps?, of this place for too long she finds herself instead staring at the large cat sprawled out in front of Vucub-Came. It’s fur is nearly black, yet in the strange light of this room she can see _tigre_ like spots, under all the black.

She might never have seen Seth’s other form before, yet she knows this is him. Like Vucub-Came is flaunting his theft.

“Welcome Hunahpu.” She’s heard Richie mention that name before, but never in regards to himself. “I dare say that your current companion seems much more attractive than your brother. Perhaps you should stay with...her, and leave your brother wherever he may be.” Vucub-Came leans forward slightly. “It is a she isn’t it?”

Kate would be insulted if the thing talking weren’t so...horrifying.

“But where are our manners.” Vucub-Came gestures at bench. “Sit, rest your tired bodies.”

Richie takes her arm in his hand and gives a slight squeeze, Kate can take a hint. “Thank you honored Lord,” Richie inclines his head. “As this is such a small matter we will stand. My brother?”

Around them comes a murmuring suruss and when she glances at Richie he winks at her. Which she takes to mean all is going well, not that she can much tell.

“If I knew where Xbalanque was Hunahpu, I would give him to you. But I would ask something in return.” Kate might not know much in the way of how things go in this...world. If it’s anything like the tales her mother used to tell her as a child, she’s certain the task in question would be something like the moon, or whatever might be as impossible. It doesn’t help that Vucub-Came is lying, unless he doesn’t know that it’s Seth at his feet.

Between the two of them she’s sure she and Richie could find the way around it.

Richie seems to realize that as well, but the only indication she sees is the way his eyes tighten. “What might that be?”

“I want the bones and soul of our great Hun-Came returned to us, she was taken from us when you,” Vucub-Came sneers. “Slaves, rebelled. Give her back so we may revive her and I can see if someone knows of your brother.”

Kate is certain that even if they did return this other person Vucub-Came could just lie some more and they’d never get Seth back; so what the purpose of this is Kate has no idea. Granted they do know where Seth is now, so some good has come out of this.

“A gracious offer Vucub-Came, but I fear I must decline. I still do not yet recall where Hun-Came is, so would not be able to find these parts for you.” A good thing if Hun-Came is anything like these other Lords. “Perhaps an alternative. A test of some sort?”

Vucub-Came eyes them for a moment. “You would find some trick out of it Hunahpu, we have dealt with you enough times. Your companion…” All eyes are on her and she does her best not to shudder under their awful weight.

Next to her Richie stiffens, and knowing he’ll reject the idea outright she speaks first. “What would the test be?” Hopefully they will be able to understand her with her broken Nahuatl.

“Kate,” Richie hisses. Now that she’s put up her brave front she can’t let herself back down.

“It might be the only way Richie,” she hisses back. “They clearly don’t trust you.” It earns her a snort.

“You could die.” A broken note enters his voice, but she can’t let her heart waver, no matter how much she loves him. He needs her, but he needs Seth as well. One brother without the other are like reins without a bridle, not quite useless, but close enough. If she can be the one to get him back then she’ll do it.

Turning she gives Richie the best smile she can. “Then you and Seth’ll just have to find a way to bring me back.” If he’ll face down primordial monsters to get his brother back then who knows what they’ll do together to get _her_ back.

“Puny human,” that’s better than it questioning her sex at the least. “You will stay in the Dark House, were you as Hunahpu here you would need to stay until dawn tomorrow. But as your mind is more feeble than his...” Now this she does find herself bristling at, blood filling her mouth as she keeps herself from speaking. “You will only be required to stay until sunset. Ahalmez.” One of the other beings stood, she found she could not even begin to describe them. “Lead her there. Hunahpu, you will be lead by Xic to a room where you will be locked in so as you do not help her in any way.”

“What do I have to do in this house?” She recalls enough of her childhood tales to think of that. Richie smiles at her.

“You must only survive the allotted time. Were it longer we would give you a torch, but since we have shortened it we will only give you a single lit reed.”

That doesn’t sound too bad, even if it does have such an ominous name. She can do it. “Alright.” She nods.

“May I have a moment to speak with her?” It doesn’t surprise her that Richie asks, and if he has any advice she’s more than willing to hear it.

Vucub-Came narrows his eyes. “Yes,” but it’s reluctant. “You must speak in here, so that we will be able to tell if you are helping her in any way.” Fair to her, she’s certain that Richie will find a way to help her cheat anyways. If it were for anyone but Seth—she knows the same would be true if his and Richie’s places had been switched—she would have played it as fair as possible. With her heart on the line she can understand rigging the game in her favor.

Richie pulls her into a hug, which surprises her, and out of the corner of her eye she can see the sleeping _tigre_ ’s head rise slightly, ear flicking like he’s trying to ward off a bug. She has no doubt that Seth’s paying just as much attention as she is. “You can do this Katie.” He gives his boyish smile and even though this isn’t the best time her heart flutters. “It’ll be just like New Orleans.” He kisses her forehead before stepping away.

The Lords look confused by Richie’s words, she does her best to bite back her smile. Demurely following when Ahalmez floats down to join her and Richie and exits out a door she hadn’t noticed before.

Ahalmez doesn’t speak as they walk, exiting the hall and entering the courtyard once more. They pass through another gate in the wall and are back in the city proper. With this Lord walking with her no one stares—she holds back her sound of amusement. It, he, stops in front of a door right off the street, pulling out a key and putting it in the lock.

“You will stay here.” The voice that leaves whatever mouth it has—if it has one—sounds as if it’s chewing gravel. It unlocks the door but doesn’t open it. “You will open door, go in, I will lock. I will open door again when sun sets.”

Simple enough. “My reed?” As if she were going to forget such a thing, not with Seth’s life on the line.

If the Lord expresses anything she wouldn’t be able to tell, perhaps if she’d spent all her life around them she would. She fears she’d go mad long before then. It reaches out and...makes a reed, one whose end she can see is faintly glowing.

With no other reason to delay now Kate takes the reed and with a deep breath pushes open the door.

On the other side is...nothing. That is to say, there is only darkness, with no sign of anything at all. As if someone had managed to keep a piece of the primordial void and had it stashed away in this house.

Knowing she doesn’t have much else of a choice Kate takes a deep breath and steps in. Her single reed doesn’t do anything to dispel the darkness around her as the door closes; but it does allow her to see her own hands, and that’s something.

She gingerly steps deeper into the house, hoping she doesn’t run into anything, or more importantly that there’s nothing in here that will try and attack her. She counts seconds in her head, to give herself something to do. After a few minutes of running into nothing she decides to just give up on walking and sits, keeping herself in a tight ball.

Like New Orleans, Richie had told her. She can feel something like a fond smile cross her face at the memories of that time. She knows what Richie’s talking about.

They’d all gotten drunk, or perhaps it’d been only her and Seth and Richie was acting drunk. Either way they had been lounging together in the living room of the hotel room they’d rented, Kate overwhelmed by how _much_ of everything there was, even food. When out of the blue Richie had suggested that Seth and Kate marry.

At the time she’d rejected the idea. She’d done a lot of sinful things, but polyandry felt too far even for her.

Now however she finds herself regretting that decision, perhaps when they’re free of this place they can find a little church. She sets that aside for the actual ‘plan’ such as it is. Because if Richie can’t help her than Seth will.

She just has to wait.

Easier said than done. She's alone in here, yet she swears she hears things, rustling of cloth, relentless marching, it’s eerie.

The reed is burning slowly, the ember that is the end still putting out it’s ruddy light. She knows full well that it won’t last however many hours she’s got until dusk; and hopes that Seth comes before the reed dies.

Needing to fill the space, fill her loneliness, she begins speaking. “Once upon a time…”

-

“...And the young woman agreed to marry the lindorm, but asked that she first be able to consult a fortune teller.” Before she can continue the story a chuff catches her attention.

“Seth?” She dare not move, her reed has burned down to a stub no bigger than her thumbnail and she’s afraid any sudden movements will extinguish it.

Another chuff and what little light she has catches Seth’s pupils, giving them a hellish glow. He melts out of the darkness, his dark pelt blending seamlessly. When he gets close enough she lets a hand reach out to pet his head, nails digging into his soft fur to scratch.

His eyes slide shut and she soon hears a brief, deep rumble leave his chest.

It brings a smile to her face. Even if she has to spend the rest of her time in the darkness, it won’t be so bad to know that Seth’s by her side. “Do you have anything for me?” Extra light would be much welcome.

His eyes open again. They’re a beautiful golden color she can just make out. He opens his mouth and before she can wonder what he’s going to do he spits out...a glowing rock? She finds herself frowning at it. With cautious hands she picks it up, it’s not warm or cold, and the light pulses faintly.

With Seth being unable to talk she can’t exactly ask him what it is, so she’s just going to have to content herself with the fact that she has light that doesn't look as if it will go out anytime soon.

Setting it back down she blows out her reed. She’ll need to save the last of it for later, so better to do it now.

The brighter light doesn’t illuminate much of the house around them, she doesn’t think it likely that will change. It had been called the ‘Dark’ House after all, she wouldn’t expect even the sun to reveal more than this light Seth’d brought.

It’s more than she could have hoped for, so she isn’t about to go asking for something better. Reaching out she rests her hand atop Seth’s head. “Thanks.” She gives the best smile she can. “You know I think I prefer your human form, certainly a better conversationalist.”

Seth chuffs again, and she gives her own huffing laugh in response, before flopping to the ground, acting, well, much like she expected a cat to. His head somehow manages to worm its way onto her lap.

“I’m fairly certain you’re taking advantage of this,” yet she finds herself not to bothered, it certainly beat being alone.

His nose gives her a brief nudge. “What?” With him being unable to speak she has no idea what he might want—well she could probably rule out a few things. There could be a lot of other things a nudge meant.

Lifting his head a little Seth opens his mouth and does a very eerie mime of speaking. “You want me to keep talking?” He gives a nod before his head once more pinned her lap in place.

With an exasperated sigh she feels more than justified in petting Seth’s head again, enjoying the silky-softness of his fur. “Alright. The woman had just asked if she could see a fortuneteller before her marriage to the lindorm, and no one could find any reason to deny her. If they were in her place they would want to see a fortune teller too…”

-

By the time Seth takes his rock back and somehow conjures up a small flame for her to relight her reed, Kate’s voice has grown hoarse from talking for so long. In a way she’s grateful Seth’s leaving, she’d long since run out of remembered tales and had taken to making up her own, which had soon begun to grow cumbersome as she kept adding new things. It had passed the time well enough.

She feels more alone in those last few minutes than she had even when she’d first entered, a silly feeling considering soon enough she’d see Richie and they’d have Seth back. One she felt none the less.

As she had thought only a minute or so later she hears the door open. Much like when she’d entered there is only the doorway, except it’s pure light instead of pure darkness. She runs towards it, eager to be out.

Ahalmez looks surprised to see her exit of her own power. She’s sure the Lords expected they’d have to drag her out.

“Take me to Richie.” It comes out in a bit of a breathless rush, but she’s eager to have this done, for the three of them return to Earth. Politeness and propriety are a bit low on her list of things to be at the moment, damn the consequences.

Gaping, and what does it say about her now that she can tell that? Ahalmez does turn and start leading the way back towards the palace.

Around them the city prepares for night, strange glowing lights appear next to doorways in a multitude of colors. She sees some colors more frequently than others, which she’s certain means something, but she doesn’t care to find out what. Brightest of all are the lights around the palace.

The feeling in the courtyard is different as well, although the serpentine culebra still seem terrified. Inside murmurs ripple through the Lords as she enters after Ahalmez. Richie, standing next to the bench, grins at her. At the foot of Vucub-Came’s seat Seth is curled up, ears twitching once in a while as if he was caught up in some feline dream. She could almost think she’d made up his involvement in her trial.

“You have survived pesky human.” She stops next to Richie, he squeezes her hand when she laces their fingers together. She finds herself taking a bit of pride in Vucub-Came’s words, because she might not be a culebra or a nagual, but being human is damn good enough.

“Our deal Vucub-Came?” Right now she’s happy to let Richie do all the talking, give her throat the rest it deserves.

Vucub-Came’s fleshy vines wiggle and twitch like she’s seen worms on hooks do. “Yes, yes, your brother Xbalanque. I spoke with the others, and we believe he is to be found in the bone trees. We wish you all the luck in finding him.”

It shouldn’t surprise her that this...thing lies to them, but it somehow does. Enough that she can’t contain her reaction. “He’s right there.” Her exclamation is hoarser than usual as she points at Seth.

“You are mistaken human. This is my Iktan, I have had him for many a century. He used to bless our jaguar warriors, before they were taken from us.” Something she thinks is anger rumbles in Vucub-Came’s voice.

She opens her mouth to snap at him, but Richie’s fingers press against her pulse twice and she does her best to subside. It’s obvious that she and Richie aren’t fooled, and she’s just going to have to trust that Richie knows what he’s doing. “Thank you honored Lords. Before I depart I have a gift of gratitude to share with you.” His free hand reaches into his pocket. “Do you remember Tam Lin?” Kate almost doesn’t catch his mutter, and gives a brief start when she realizes he's talking to her.

For a second her mind scrambles, but Tam Lin had been one of the stories she’d told Seth in that house, it's fresher in her mind than it would have been. Considering their situation she has a good idea of which part Richie’s talking about and she gives a brief nod.

“You’ll know when to act,” he mutters, and at his words she pulls her hand from his. Ready to jump into action when he gave whatever signal he would.

Seconds later he takes out the same glowing stone that Seth had brought her earlier. He takes a few steps forward and offers it to Vucub-Came. “This is the egg of a Thunderbird, a great and powerful animal from earth.” Kate has no idea if Richie’s telling the truth or not. “If you waited for it to hatch I’m sure it would make an excellent addition to your menagerie, but I’ve been told that if you break open the egg and consume the yolk you gain a vision of what you want the most.”

Now _that_ sounds like a humbug if she’s ever heard one. Yet it seems to be working on Vucub-Came, who snatches the egg from Richie’s hand. “Why have you not done this yourself Hunahpu?” Maybe not

“I’ve already got what I want most in the world.” His eyes cut to her and she finds a flush creep over her cheeks. It might be a strange place for such a romantic declaration, but it’s touching all the same. “So it is of no real use to me, except as a curiosity. I feel it is a fitting gift for you, since you are searching for Hun-Came.” Richie inclines his head and takes a step back.

There are a few tense seconds where Vucub-Came turns the egg over and over in his hands, or what passes for hands, entranced by the soft glow. “Must it be eaten raw or cooked?”

“Raw is more potent,” Richie answers. It seems his criminal skills work just as well in Xibalba as they do on Earth.

Vucub-Came turns it around once more, before moving it to one hand and raising it so it is above the arm of his chair. As he moves to crack it open Kate finds herself tensing, heart beating faster in her chest.

The cracking of the egg itself seems to happen in minutes instead of the seconds it takes. Yet soon enough she hears the cracking of the shell and before she can even blink light fills the room, brighter and purer than any other light she’s seen in Xibalba.

The Lords cry out in pain and Kate finds her body jumping into action. With a running start she manages to scramble up the short height that separates the floor from the dias. She’s only gotten to her feet when something low to the ground and bulky bumps into her, nearly knocking her off. Reaching out she grabs onto it, relieved when she feels family silky fur. Seth.

Like Janet she holds on tight.

Seconds later something latches onto _her._  She almost lets go to fend off whatever it might be. A heartbeat later she hears Richie shouting right next to her ear—smells burning flesh as well. She can’t make out the words but a wind picks up drowning out the cries of the Lords. Before she knows it the three of them are being picked up.

It tears at her dress and face, tries to uncurl her fingers. She closes her eyes and buries them in Seth’s shoulder, pain flickering through her hands as she grabs on even tighter.

The roar of the wind grows deafening, then cuts out. The sudden quiet almost disorienting. Behind her Richie groans and lets go of her, she hears a faint thump of him probably hitting something. She’s not willing to let go of Seth just yet, but she does raise her head and open her eyes.

Not that she sees much, wherever they are is pitch black. Perhaps Richie took them to Dark House, for whatever reason. Yet with Seth warm and _alive_ beneath her touch and Richie muttering about lucifers and light she doesn’t much care where they are. On the other hand she’d much prefer it if they were out of Xibalba, having to worry about getting back home is not something she wants right now.

Richie makes a triumphant noise and she hears the strike of the lucifer, followed by a tiny guttering flame that grows as Richie lights a torch.

Beneath her hands she feels Seth begin to shift back to human, but again she’s loathed to let him go. “Where are we?”

The torch Richie holds illuminates a stone room, one that smells dry and dusty—both things that eliminate it being the Dark House. “Twisted Saloon,” he replies absently. “Kisa’s coming.”

It should probably worry her that Richie and Kisa have a bond the likes of which she can never have with him. Richie  _chose_ her, and that is better than any strange culebra bond. Yet his mention of the Twisted Saloon means they’re back home, such as it is. She lets go of Seth, who rolls away from her and gives a hacking sort of cough. She’d be more worried if it’s not a sound she’s heard him make before.

There’s no door between this room and whatever place it might connect to so it’s as if Kisa appears in the room, as beautiful and fey as always. “Richard,” her eyes glance to Seth. “I see you were successful.”

“ _We_ were successful,” Richie responds. Kate’s cheeks heat. “They didn’t just do it for revenge. Vucub-Came said he wants Hun-Came back.”

Kisa’s eyes finally glance at Kate, if Kate had to guess she’d think the other woman’s gaze appraising. “Come upstairs, it seems we have much to talk about.” She turns, uncaring that she’s walking through dark hallways without light. Richie had said she’d lived in this place for a few hundred years at the least.

On the ground Seth groans, “I think I’m going to be coughing up hairballs for a week.” His kidnapping hadn’t dulled his tongue.

Kate finds herself smiling, and accepts Richie’s hand up, knees uncertain on whether or not they’ll support her at first. She manages to stand on her own. She can’t describe the feeling inside her when she sees Richie do the same for Seth—who then proceeds to dust off his suit.

Richie takes the lead, and together they trail after Kisa. Seth walks slowly, as if reacquainting himself with two legs, but it means she only has to speed up her own step a little to catch up. When she does she she finds herself taking his hand in hers. “Thank you, for your help in that house, and, I love you.” It’s not the first time she’s said such a thing to him.

“I know.” It’s not the joking response she expects and it throws her off guard. He raises their hands and kisses the back of hers.

Kate tries not to pay attention to the art on the walls around them, she’s got Seth to help with that. “I think Richie was right, all those months ago.” Part of her feels that if she doesn’t say it now she won’t ever say it. Although they’ll both have to deal with Richie’s smugness for the next few days. “We should marry too.” It’s not as if any place they go to will have even heard of Bethel, or perhaps even think to ask if they play their cards right.

Seth’s head ducks, embarrassed by the suggestion—she knows full well not in a bad way. For all their dealings with monsters and other words Seth is a traditional sort of man. That doesn’t seem to interfere with the two of them lying together when they are in the mood. “If that’s what you really want.” His words suggest he doesn’t agree, but he can’t hide the pleasure in his voice from her, not anymore.

“While I know I suggested the idea.” Richie’s voice drifts back, already smug. “I think we’ve got other things we should focus on first.” They reach a set of stairs going up and Kate feels a brief wash of relief when she sees the main room of the saloon, however empty it might be.

Richie’s words earn a brief snort from Seth. “Who knew Richie would actually put business before pleasure.”

A deep blush spreads across Kate’s cheeks, yet she’s to pleased to attempt to chastise either of them.

**Author's Note:**

> I have at least two more fics about halfway done, I'm not sure when I'll get them finished considering I've got other projects that need attention sooner. But we'll see.
> 
> All the Xibalba things are as accurate as I could make them w/ out interfering w/ the story (although I didn't have to really change much. Also it really does have a river of scorpions, and I just, have so many questions (there is also a river of pus, which I decided not to include for obvious reasons)).
> 
> The story Kate's telling is the 'Lindorm King's Bride' which is a great folktale. And the sounds she's hearing are just herself (her own clothes and heartbeat in particular).
> 
> Richie is lying out of his ass about it being a Thunderbird egg, I just wanted to make that clear.


End file.
